Many residents of the Russian capital love to explore various places in the city again and again, visit famous landmarks and simply admire the beautiful views of Moscow. What can we say about guests of the capital who are in the metropolis for the first time? Of course, they are also very interested in getting to know the city and its popular places better.
There are different ways to travel around Moscow. You can take a ride on the metro, getting off at some stations onto the street. You can ride by car, bus or other public transport. Some prefer leisurely walks both in the center and on the outskirts of the city. And some of the guests of the capital and its residents love walks along the Moscow River on a river bus, from the deck of which you can enjoy wonderful panoramas of the city from very interesting angles.
Brief history of water transport in Moscow
Steamboats appeared in the capital of Russia in 1923 and immediately began to be used as one of the main types of transport, with the help of which one could conveniently get to the desired place.
Over time, the number of cars and ground public transport in the city increased, and the metro appeared and began to be actively used. And since there are so many options for moving around Moscow, gradually the relevance of boats as the main transport began to decrease.
However, water buses in Moscow continued to be used as public transport until 2006. Today, the city’s water transport serves exclusively for recreational and excursion purposes.
Where do the water buses run?
As you know, the Moscow River runs through almost the entire capital of Russia. It is along this route that water buses of various models run, giving the native residents of the city and its guests the opportunity to look at Moscow’s sights from a very interesting side.
For their routes they also use the Moscow Canal, thanks to which you can see part of the capital’s suburbs.
When is pleasure navigation carried out in Moscow?
You can enjoy the walk for almost six months. Each water bus on the Moscow River begins to run around mid-April, and stops operating around mid-October. You can take a ride on any day of the week and even have a great ride on one of the holidays.
In recent years, thanks to the advent of modern and well-equipped ships, it has become possible to enjoy a river cruise even in the winter months. Such ships have a special ice belt, so they are able to conquer the waters in the coldest time of the year.
Main routes of water buses
If you need a river bus excursion around Moscow or just decide to take a boat ride, know that in any case you will have to use the services of one of several shipping companies that offer boat trips. The most popular is the Capital Shipping Company, which offers the largest number of routes. There are also such organizations as Flotilla Radisson Royal, RPK Group of Companies and Rechflot.
Regardless of the shipping company, Moscow residents and its guests can choose the most relevant route for them from just a few existing options. The thing is that pleasure boats simply do not sail along other parts of the Moscow River.
The route that operates regularly throughout the entire navigation period is the route starting at the Kievsky railway station and ending at the Novospassky bridge. Water buses in Moscow plying along it will allow their passengers to see many of the main attractions of the city. The ship will pass by the following berths: Kyiv Station, Vorobyovy Gory, Central Park of Culture and Culture named after. Gorky, Variety Theater (metro station "Borovitskaya" or "Kropotkinskaya"), Ustinsky Bridge (metro station "Kitay-Gorod"), Novospassky Bridge (metro station "Proletarskaya").
You can travel along this route in both directions, and the tram will stop at each pier.
Since 2009, the Radisson Royal company has been inviting all residents and guests of the capital to year-round boat trips. River trams in Moscow, belonging to this flotilla, begin their route from the piers “Hotel Ukraine” and “TsPKiO im. Gorky." Both follow to Kotelnicheskaya embankment, then turn around.
Other waterbus routes in Moscow
It can carry tourists and city residents along several more routes.
From the pier “Vorobyovy Gory”, “Kyiv Station” or “TsPKiO im. Gorky" you can ride past the Kremlin to Kotelnicheskaya embankment and return to the landing site.
From the pier called “Bolotnaya Ploshchad”, which is not far from the Tretyakovskaya metro station, you can ride along the river and then exit into the main channel of the river. This route is circular and also ends near Bolotnaya Square.
From the Kolomenskoye pier, which is located in the park of the same name, you can swim to the Maryino pier, located near the corresponding metro station. Here the river bus (Moscow) turns around and goes back to its point of departure.
Suburban routes
By boarding a water transport, you can see not only the city center, but also its surroundings. Water buses in Moscow can take passengers outside the capital. In summer, this is an excellent opportunity not only to breathe fresh river air, but also to get to beautiful countryside recreation areas.
There is a route from Trinity-Lykovo to Strogino and around the wonderful Serebryany Bor. The ships travel along the Moscow Canal, and all passengers have the opportunity to admire the stunning Zhivopisny Bridge directly from the water. For those who want to ride longer in this area, there is a special circular route called “Around the World”, which also starts in Trinity-Lykovo, goes through Shchukino, Khoroshevsky Bridge, Karamyshevsky Dam and the 9th Lock, Zhivopisny Bridge and Krylatskoye, and then he finds himself again in Trinity-Lykovo.
There are also routes from the Northern River Station to a recreation area called “Bay of Joy” and tram rides along the Khimki Reservoir from the Severnoye Tushino pier.
Timetable for water buses on the Moscow River
It is very important for anyone planning a walk on the water to know the time at which river buses in Moscow can depart from the piers. Their schedule can be found both on the websites of shipping companies and directly at the berths themselves, where you will purchase tickets.
The main tram routes along the Moscow River, operated by the Capital Shipping Company, have the following schedule:
- Trams run from Kievsky Station to Novospassky Bridge from 12:00 to 20:00, departing every 25 minutes.
- From Kievsky Station, departures also occur every 25 minutes from 11 am to 6 pm.
- The circular route from Kievsky Station starts at 12:00 and ends at 19:20, departing every 25 minutes.
- You can depart from the Tretyakovsky and Kolomenskoye berths every hour until 21:00. On weekends, routes operate from 11 am, on weekdays - from 12.
A walk on a river bus around Moscow will be a great way to spend your free time and look at the city's attractions. Both adults and children of all ages will definitely enjoy this pastime.
The website of the shipping company Mosparokhodstvo presents the current schedule of river cruises for 2019. We offer river walks along 5 routes: “Center”, “South”, “North”, “Serebryany Bor”, “Obvodny Canal”.
The most popular routes, such as walks around the center of Moscow, have departure intervals from 20 minutes to 1 hour. Comfortable ships depart from all Moscow berths. Boarding time also varies and averages 15 minutes.
Schedule of river walks "Center"
The Central Walking Route of Moscow is the most popular walking route in the center of Moscow. You will see all the sights and have a great rest. Departing from the Novospassky Bridge pier, the ship will pass by water through the center of the capital, and from the ship you will have views of the main attractions of Moscow - the Kremlin, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, St. Basil's Cathedral, the monument to Peter 1 and many others. At key central berths the ship makes short stops for passengers.
Schedule of river walks "South"
River walk in the south of Moscow is a popular and daily river walk. Departing from the Kolomenskoye pier, the ship will travel by water through the south of Moscow, and from the ship you will have views of the sights of Moscow - the Kotelnicheskaya skyscraper, the Novospassky Monastery, the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve and many others. There are no stops along the route.
Schedule of river walks "North"
A river cruise in the north of Moscow is a daily boat trip departing from the Northern River Station. The motor ship will pass by water along the Khimki Reservoir, the Moscow Canal and a cascade of reservoirs near Moscow. Boat trips depart from the River Station every day.
Schedule of river walks "Serebryany Bor"
During a river cruise along the “Serebryany Bor” route, the ship will completely go around the natural monument Serebryany Bor Island, and from board you will have wonderful views of the Trinity Church, built in 1703, as well as more modern sights of the North-West of the capital: Zhivopisny Bridge - the only one in Moscow cable-stayed suspension bridge, part of Krasnopresnensky Prospekt.
Schedule of river walks "Obvodny Canal"
A river walk along the Obvodny Canal is a unique route along a section of the Moscow River, which is part of the architectural ensemble of Zamoskvorechye. From the ship you will have views of the monument to Peter 1, the oldest building of the Red October sweet factory, a rare example of 17th century architecture, the chamber of Averky Kirillov, “singing” fountains and much more.
Ship schedule
Boat trips along the Moscow River are a guarantee of a good mood. By purchasing electronic tickets on the official website of the ship owner, you can count on no additional fees when paying and the best, and sometimes exclusive, offers for trips.
On the shipping company’s website you can view the schedule and prices for river trips along the Moscow River, select a suitable trip and immediately after payment an electronic ticket will be sent to you by email. Tickets for a river cruise can be presented from the screen of any mobile device or tablet.
Navigation along the Moscow River 2019
The timing of the opening of the navigation season is primarily influenced by weather conditions, but usually regular boat trips along the Moscow River begin at the end of April and continue until the end of October.
How to buy a ticket for a river cruise
To purchase a ticket for a river cruise, you need to decide on the desired date of the cruise, then select a time interval, go to the individual cruise page and pay for the ticket with a credit card. The ticket will be sent to your email. To board the ship, you just need to show the barcode indicated on the ticket from the screen of your phone or tablet and enjoy the river trip.
Depending on weather conditions and city events, the schedule of cruises on the Moscow River may be subject to significant changes, so it is necessary to familiarize yourself in advance with announcements of cruises on the eve of city holidays and during bad weather.
The full schedule of ship departures from all berths in Moscow and the Moscow region can be found on the page "Schedule".
The interval of water buses on different routes can vary greatly. So the central berths are Kyiv Station, Novospasssky Bridge, Central Park of Culture and Culture named after. Gorky, International Exhibition - they serve passengers at intervals of 5-7 minutes. The ships depart one after another, and the time the ship stays at the pier does not exceed 5-10 minutes.
Unlike mass excursions, on weekend cruises to the Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery and Zhestovo, ships depart in the morning and return in the late afternoon.
Departure berths for water buses in Moscow
The departure berths for river trams can be viewed on the official website of the operator of river cruises along the Moscow River, SK Mosparokhodstvo, on the “Berths” page, on which you will find a map of Moscow, with berths marked, a description of how to get to a particular berth and directions. Also, for the convenience of passengers, this page displays the schedule for the melting of river buses from the pier of interest.
The official operator of river tram cruises on the Moscow River, IC Mosparokhodstvo, makes walks from the piers: Kievsky Station, International Exhibition, Luzhniki, Vorobyovy Gory, Kutuzovsky, Krymsky Bridge, Variety Theater, Gorky Park, Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Novospassky Bridge, Ustinsky Bridge , Nagatino, Pechatniki, Kolomenskoye, Marino, Northern River Station, Khvoyny SRV, Rdosta Bay, Gorki, etc.
Ticket price for water buses in Moscow
The price of tickets for river trips directly depends on the route, duration of the trip and the level of the ship. The website offers tickets of different price categories ranging from 149 rubles (promotions and discounts) to 5,000 rubles for VIP level ships with meals included. We offer tickets for children (6 -12 years old) and adult tickets (children over 13 years old), discounts for citizens with disabilities, as well as free tickets for WWII participants, disabled children, wards of charitable foundations and orphanages.
How to buy a ticket for a water bus on the Moscow River.
You can buy a ticket for a river cruise on a motor ship departing from any pier in Moscow and the Moscow region on the website of the Mosparokhodstvo Insurance Company. In this case, the time to purchase a ticket will take 3 minutes. You can pay for the ticket by card, and an electronic ticket will be sent to the buyer by email. All our ships are equipped with barcode reading systems, so you simply show your ticket to the controller from the screen of your phone or other electronic device and board safely.
If a passenger wishes to purchase a ticket at the ticket office at the pier, then this is also possible. I would like to immediately note that waiting in line can sometimes reach 2 hours, and then the passenger must stand in the same line to board the plane. The cost of a ticket at the box office is significantly higher than the price of an electronic ticket purchased on the website.
